Hey, guys! Been awhile since I put anything new up. I keep trying to work on my stories that are in progress, but that's not going anywhere right now. But, since I've been watching a fair amount of the "Zexal" series over the past week, I thought I'd do a really short something for some of my favorite siblings in the show, Quinton, Quattro, and Trey. This one focuses on Quinton, mainly, but here's hoping I'll get to do some things for the other two as well sometime soon.

So, yeah. Enjoy, everyone!

"Always Family" 5/2/2015 a "YGO: Zexal" fanfiction

Chris stumbled into his bedroom, tired after his long day of tutors and social encounters. Being the oldest son of a well-known, wealthy family and being the heir to the family name and business wasn't all it was cracked up to be, and the young Christopher Arclight spent too many hours of his days immersed in studies of liberal arts and becoming acquainted with others of his social status in hope that they might someday become good business partners. Young ladies were often pointed out to him in the hopes that he should court them and so get in good with their parents.

But, every night, Chris would do the same thing. He'd stumble into his bedroom and throw all of that behind him. He would lie awake and read his favorite science fiction books, or watch marathons of Star Trek or Star Wars. He'd play around with his Duel Monster cards, wishing that he had someone to duel against in person, and not just over an internet chat room. And sometimes, like tonight, he would lay in bed with a sketchbook, drawing out science fiction images.

Aliens, space ships, laser cannons, and other fanciful creations flowed from his pen as he sketched. He created whole worlds on nights like tonight, and there was almost nothing he enjoyed more.

Well, almost nothing, he reflected as his door was thrown open, two small figures running into his room. They didn't ask permission. They didn't need it.

"Christopheeee!" The smaller of the two, a pink-haired toddler, squealed as he rushed to the side of the bed. The child tried to climb up the side of the bed, becoming frustrated when he was unable to do so due to his small stature.

Chris laughed, leaning over to gather the toddler up in his arms and pulling him to sit on the bed beside him. "Hello, Michael."

"Cannonball!" The other figure yelled, his voice much too loud for indoor use. The five-year-old boy took a running start from the door, launching his small body into the air and landing on his feet at the end of Chris's bed. He bounced up and down on the mattress a couple of times, his mixed red and yellow shocks of hair waving up and down with each movement the energetic child made.

"You shouldn't jump on beds, Thomas," Chris scolded his brother lightly. He reached over, grinning as he grasped the giggling boy by the ankle, pulling him down onto his butt and tugging him across the bed. Thomas fought him a little, kicking his legs even while he squealed with laughter, not minding the mildly rough treatment in the least. Chris chuckled as he began to tickle his younger brother, tormenting the boy.

Yes, these were the moments he loved the most. The moments where he wasn't young Lord Christopher Arclight, son of Lord Byron. The moments where he wasn't just a young man known for his family name. The moments when he was Chris, a boy with a head for science and math and a passion for science fiction, where he was the older brother of two wonderful little boys.

~ [V] ~ [IV] ~ [III] ~

Chris sighed contentedly as he reached over Thomas's head a few hours later, turning off his bedstand lamp. Thomas and Michael were each snuggled into his sides, Michael sucking on his thumb cutely while Thomas snored lightly on the other side, drool leaking from his open mouth.

They should both really be put back into their own beds to sleep, but Chris didn't care about that right now. He simply lay back bed, wrapping both his arms around the smaller figures and holding them close.

He was dimly aware of their father opening the door a crack, smiling in a loving fashion as he looked over his three sons. They were all Byron had for family, now that their mother had been dead for two and a half years, Chris reflected. It had been hard on them when she died, their father especially. Chris had had to step in for his father, Thomas, and their new baby brother more than he'd ever done before.

His eyes drooped as Byron closed the door again, turning and walking down the hall, quietly so as not to disturb his sleeping children.

Chris held his brothers closer as he drifted off. They were family, no matter what. And nothing would break them apart.